Process for manufacture of distilled spirits



Nov. 23, 1937( F. E. MILLER 2,099,864

PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURE 0F DISTILLED SPIRITS Filed May 26, 1934 ,7'0 fof/denser for' Heads lNVENTOR Frea/ E. M/'l/ef BY n ATTORNEY Patentes Nov. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS FoR MANUFACTURE oF Dls- 'rlLLEo SPIRITS Application May 26, 1934, Serial No. 727,618

3 Claims.

` an agreeable taste and smell.

In more recent yearsV the old distillation apparatus has been replaced by continuous column stills or batch stills equipped with fractionating columns in order to obtain improved heat economies and more complete separation of alcoholic distillate from the beer. The substitution of these new types of apparatus for the old has been found, however, to yield products possessing W body and having a poorer flavor and aroma than products formerly produced.

In accordance with the presentinvention I have y found that by suitable regulation or alteration of the distillation procedure, as hereinafter more fully described, not only may spirituous liquors of improved body, avor, and aroma be obtained, but products may be produced possessing these qualities to an even greater extent than those resulting from the operation of the less used pot stills. Furthermore, the products of my improved process require a substantially reduced period of time for aging, since they already possess to a very material extent upon their recovery from the distillation the qualities desired in the nal product.

The process o f the present invention is applicable tothe distillation of fermented mashes in either batch or continuous types of distillation equipment. In connection with batch equipment, it is especially suitable for the improvement of liquors obtained from stills equipped with fractionating columns, for the reason that such columnsy like the continuous column still, ordi.` narily yield distilled spirits having a poor flavor and lacking body and aroma. v

In accordance with the present invention the beer is distilled in the usual manner. The distillate, which has a relatively high alcohol content, is brought into intimate association at an elevated temperature with aliphatic acids originating in a fermented mash. The acids may be obtained from the low wines of that or apreceding beer distillation, or from the residual mash remaining in the'fermenter after conducting the (c1. sei-4s) beer to the still, or even from the residual slop from the beer still.

Preferably those acids are employed which contain more than four and less than eleven carbon atoms in the molecule. These acids may be extracted from the residual mash, either before or after a separatory distillation by forming insoluble salts thereof with a suitable alkaline material, and by separating the salts, for instance the metal salts or soaps such as those of calcium, from the remaining liquid. The acids may be extracted from the 'distillate fraction usually referred to as low Wines. In extracting aliphatic acids from the low wine fraction, this fraction is preferably distilled to separate a substantial portion of its alcoholic content; the residue then may be saponifled in the same manner as the residual mash. In either case the saponication may be elected advantageously by means of lime or other suitable alkaline reagent and after separation of the insoluble soap from residual liquor, the soap may be treated with an inorganic acid to liberate the fatty acids. Sulfuric acid may be used toadvantage for this purpose. After separation of the free fatty acids from the sulfuric acid they may be washed with water to eliminate traces of sulfuric acid which were not removed in the separation step. The aliphatic acids above C4 are insoluble in water, or sparingly so, the acids below C4 are soluble in Water and aconsiderable portion may be removed with the wash water. The free aliphatic acids remaining may be fractionally distilled in order to eliminate those acids containing more than ten carbon atoms. By the foregoing separation and purification process the desired fatty acids may be obtained without substantial dilution by other substances. It .will be understood that such higher acids may of course be present in the final product in small quantities ,but reasonably complete elimination is desirable. The separation of higher acids may be eiected at any desired stage of the process. The purified fatty acids may be brought int intimate contact with the alcoholic vapors or condensate of the distillation process, in any suitable manner so as to form fatty acid esters, which greatly enhance the flavor, body, and aroma of the nal product. This intimate contact or association may be effected either in combination with and as a part of the main distillation process or as a separate distillation, boiling, or refluxing step. High alcohol concentration'and high temperature favor the desired reaction. Hence it is desirable to bring the 'acids into contact with vapors or Qondenate possessing a relatively high alcoholic content.` Suitable conditions far causing this reaction may be obtained by effecting repeated distillation and condensation of the alcoholic distillate containing on the order of 40% to '70% of ethyl alcohol in the presence of the concentrated fatty acids, preferably at about 80 to 100 C. Under normal conditions the acid concentration should be above about 40%,

A convenient type of reaction chamber for this treatment comprises a steam heated boiler or distillation vessel adapted to vaporize liquid contained in the lower portion thereof and having above this heated portion cooling means arranged to condense vapors. In other words, the reaction vessel is in essence a still equipped with a reflux condenser. The vapors passing from the fractionating column of the beer still pass into the reaction chamber and bubble up through the liquid at the bottom thereof and are thereby brought into intimate reactive relation with the free acids causing esterincation to take place and at the same time assisting vaporization of result ing esters. The vapors after bubbling through the fatty acids pass up through the reflux condenser. It is quite probable that free acids will also be carried into this condenser partly by evaporation and partly be entrainmentbut this is not at all undesirable. On the contrary, it Serves to improve the intimacy of contact between the alcoholic distillate and the acids. A portion of the alcohol is condensed in the reflux condenser and the free acids are either condensed out or washed from the vapors by the condensate. That portion of the vapors which passes through the condenser will contain the esters formed in the reaction chamber as well as the other constituents of a whiskey distillate.

In order that my invention may be more fully understood, the following description of one embodiment thereof is set forth illustrated by the accompanying drawing.

The drawing represents diagrammatically apparatus arranged for carrying out the process of the present invention in connection with a batch still equipped with a fractionating column. The still for the distillation of the fermented mash is designated by numeral I and is equipped with a fractionating column 2 of any convenient type such as the bubble tray-arrangement shown having a cooling coil 3 near the top thereof. The still and column, as well as the rest of the system described below, may be provided with heat insulation (not shown). The still I is provided with the usual means (not shown) for charging mash from the fermenting tub and for discharging distillation residue. It is arranged to be heated by introduction of steam through perforated pipe coil Ia.

From the top of fractionating column 2 a vapor line 4 leads to a reaction chamber 5 wherein the vapors are brought into intimate association with fatty acids as hereinafter more fully described, and a branch line 4a leads into an-4 other vapor line 6 which joins the top of reaction chamber 5 to a rectifier or fractionator 'I.

Rectifier 'I is provided with a cooling coil 8, a vapor line 9 at the top for removal of heads, aldehydes, etc., a liquid draw-off I 0 at the bottom for removal of tails,'and a liquid draw-off IIl intermediate the top and bottom for removing tle potable fraction'and conducting. it to a cooler I Cooler I2, which may be water-cooled, is connected by a pipe I3 having branchesr I4 and I5 and provided with valves I6 and l1 t0 Suitable receivers I8 and I9. A by-pass I2a may be provided around cooler I2. 'I'he receivers I8 and I9- may be any suitable storage tanks for reception of the final product and a low wine distillate.

Receiver I9 is arranged for collecting the 10W wines and is joined by valved conduit 20 to a still 2l The still 2 I, although it may be a simple still, preferably is provided with a fractionating column 22. This column may have provision for removal of a portion of the reflux therefrom. A valved conduit 23 is arranged to conduct vapors from this rectifying column to a reaction chamber 24 and from there through condenser 25 to suitable storage means 26 and 27,. A valved conduit 23a is arranged to pass vapors from the column 22 directly to condenser 25. The still 2i' is provided with an outlet for still residue, which leads by means of pipe 28 to a tank 29. A pipe 38 from the fermenting tub3I, also is shown for conveying liquid from the fermenting tub to the tank 29. l

Tank 29 is provided with a liquid draw-off 32 and a second draw-off 33 which leads to a second tank 34. Each of tanks 29 and 34 may be arranged to effect decantation as will be more fully described. Tank 34 may have a drain 35 at the bottom thereof and is joined by pipe-line 36 to a vacuum still 37.

Still 3'I is shown provided with a fractionating column 38 similar to the columns 2 and 22. It

also has a suitable outlet 39 for discharging resi- Y,

. duc. From the column 38 a vapor line 40 leads to condenser 4I. A pipe line 42 is provided to convey condensate to receiver 43. It also may have a draw-off 44 for separate recovery of a portion of the distillate. A vacuum line 45 is shown on receiver 43. l The still 3I is preferably arranged to effect the vacuum distillation of fatty acids and hence vshould besuitably designed to operate at reduced pressures. From receiver 43 a pipe line 46 leads to reaction chamber 5. This pipe line 46 is provided with a suitable pump 41.

'Ihe reaction chamber 5 comprises a steam' heated boiler or distillation vessel having a steam jacket 48 around the lower portion thereof with steaminlet 49 and water outlet 50. The distillation vessel is adapted to contain a body of fatty acids. A pipe 5I having perforations 52 extends to near the bottom of this vessel and is arranged to conduct vapors from vapor line 4 into the body of liquid so that they will bubble up therethrough. A cooling coil 53 is provided in the vapor space of chamber 5. Reaction chamber 24 may be of the same type as chamber 5 on a smaller scale and may receive fatty acids from receiver 43 by means of pump 41, pipe-line 4S, and branch line 54.

The operation of this apparatus may be as follows when applied to the production of rye whiskey:

500 gallons of beer (a rye mash fermented as usual for a period of 2 to 3 days) are charged from tub 3| to still I. Still I is heated by the introduction of steam through the perforated coil Ia. The vapors of this distillation pass up through rectifying column 2 and into contact withcooling coil 3 whereby they are fractlonally condensed and the condensed fraction is refluxed down through the fractionating column to the still. In this manner a strong alcoholic distillate containing on the order of 50% alcohol is obtained and passes in vapor phase through conduit 4 into the bottom of reaction chamber 5 Where it bubbles up through a body of the fatty acids derived from a fermented mash and Vcontaining less I'il than eleven carbon atoms in the acid molecule. 'Ihe reaction chamber is maintained at an elevated temperature by means of the steam jacket 48 with which it is provided. A cooling fluid such as water is circulated through coil 53 to cause a partial condensation of vapors evolved from the body of liquid. Fractionation is not desired at this point because this would tend to reduce the alcoholic content of the liquid in the chamber. The cooling coil effects partial condensation without any great amount of fractionation. Vapors not condensed by the action of this cooling coil pass oi through pipe S to rectifier and fractional condenser 'I where condensation of the alcoholic fraction is obtained. 'I'he ow of cooling fluid through pipe coil 8 'is so regulated that all but aldehydes and other light ends or heads are here condensed. Heavy ends or tails are reiiuxed to the bottom of the column and withdrawn at I0. With suitable insulation of the column I heating means are not necessary at the bottom of the column though such means of course may be provided. The desired distillate fraction is withdrawn through pipe I I, cooler I2, and pipes I3 and I4 to receiver I8, `valve I6 being open and valve Il being closed.

After the removal of that distillate having the alcohol content desired in the product, for instance after removal of around forty gallons of 50% alcohol condensate, there still remains in the residue in still I a considerable proportion of alcohol and most of the original fatty acid content of the beer. Accordingly, when this point is reached (ordinarily when about 8% or 10% of the charge has been distilled oi and collected in receiver I8) valve I4 is closed, valve I5 is opened, and thel distillation is continued to obtain around sixty gallons of low Wines in receiver I9. During collection of low wines reaction chamber and cooler I2 may be by-passed so as to avoid removal of fatty acids from the reaction chamber and so as to conserve the sensible heat of the condensate iinally recovered. It will be understood, of course, that the quantity of low wines recovered will depend largely on the efliciency of fractionating column 2 and hence may vary not only depending upon conditions of fermentation, etc. but also upon the particular distillation equipment employed.

The low wines so recovered, which may be at an elevated temperature, are transferred to still 2I where around 40% or50% of the sixty gallon charge is removed in vapor form. Two or more distillate fractions may be recovered, if desired. With a suitable fractionating column, a portion (around 20 gallons) of distillate may be collected as 1GO-,proof whiskey. During this distillation vaporous distillate may be passed through reaction chamber 24 and treated with fatty acids in the same manner as the high alcohol distillate from still I to form fatty acid esters and thereby improve its character. The distillation then may be continued, vapors passing through by-pass 23a to condenser 25 until around ve gallons of a more dilute distillate are obtained. This distillate is somewhat similar to the low Wine fraction charged to still 2I and hence may be collected separately and returned to the still 2I for redistillation with a subsequent charge.

The 35 gallons of residue from the distillation are conveyed through pipe 28 to tank 2S. The residue remaining in the fermenting tub 3l which may amount to 8% to 10% of the total charge of mash, for instance 40 gallons, likewise is con- `is drawn'oii through valved outlet 32.

ducted to tank 29. Lime or another suitable alkali is then added to the 75 gallon charge to cause saponication of fatty acids present. The resultant slurry is permitted to settle and the major portion, say 65 to '70 gallons of the liquid,

The remaining slurry is introduced through pipe 33 to tank 34 where it is acidied with dilute sulfuric acid. Solid matter is allowed to settle out and the supernatant liquid is withdrawn through pipe 36 to vacuum still 31. The residual slurry may be withdrawn at 35 and suitably disposed of. In still 3T the liquid is subjected to a distillation under a vacuum of around 25 inches of mercury and the distillate coming off up t'o around 120 C. is collected in receiver 43. Dlstillation residue may be drawn off from the still through outlet 39. A small portion of the first distillate coming off from still 31 may be removed through pipe 44, if desired, this portion of the distillate consisting for the most part of materials other than the desired acids, Pipe 44, of course, should be connected to suitable evacuating and collecting means (not shown) when the early distillate is separately recovered. The distilled acids are conveyed by means of pump 41 through pipe 46 tothe reaction chamber 5 to serve as the body of fatty acid containing liquid in this chamber for the treatment of vapors from a subsequent charge of beer.

As previously mentioned, cooler I2 may be bypassed during low wine distillation so that the low wines will be recovered in low Wine receiver I9 while they are only slightly below the initial boiling point. By conveying them directly to still 2 I, their sensible heat may be conserved and less heating will be required for the redistillation.

The rst part of the distillate obtained in effecting the redistillation in still 2I is a high wine or whiskey fraction and this is followed by a low wine fraction. In a batch redistillation the first low wines recovered will possess a high alcohol content as compared with those coming over later hence it may be desirable to return only a por-` tion of the low wines to still 2I, for instance the first half of this distillate, in which case the remainder may be disposed of in any suitable manner.

While a second reaction chamber 24 has been shown for treating the high wines recovered from the distillation in still 2i, it will be obvious that the reaction of alcohol with fatty acids may be carried out exclusively in the reaction chamber 5 and the high wine recovered in the receiver 2S may be added to the product recovered in receiver I8. In thiscase, of course, the second reaction chamber may be dispensed with.

It will be understood that in many prior distillation processes some fatty acids have been carried over with the alcoholic vapors or other- Wise contacted therewith but in such cases the concentration of fatty acids has been so low that their effect on the product has been negligible and in most cases the fatty acids containing more than four carbon atoms have been entirely absent. Then too any contact between the acids and concentrated alcohol vapors at a high temperature has been incidental and of such short duration that little or no esteric'ation could take place. The products prepared according to the present invention are readily distinguished from such ordinary products by the full body and the line flavor and aroma of these new products.

In this application proportions have been expressed as liquid volume percentages.

I claim:

1. In the manufacture of a potable spirit of high ester content from fermented grain, the improvement which comprises distilling a fermented grain beer to form an alcoholic distillate having an alcohol content above distilling off an aqueous aliphatic acid concentrate from a fermented grain beer, neutralizing the acids of said concentrate by means of an alkaline calcium compound to form water-insoluble calcium compounds of acids containing more than 4 carbon atoms, mechanically separating the insolubles from aqueous solution, acidifying the insolubles to liberate free acids from said insoluble calcium compounds, subjecting the acids to distillation to form a distillate substantially free from acids containing more than 10 carbon atoms, esterifying the acids present in said distillate, and blending a quantity of the resultant esters with a much larger quantity of the aforesaid alcoholic distillate.

2. In the manufacture of a potable spirit of the group, whiskey, brandy, and rum of fine body, avor, and aroma, the improvement which comprises distilling the fermentation product from which said spirit is derived to form an alcoholic distillate having an alcohol content above 40%, distilling oiT an aqueous alcoholic concentrate from said fermentation product, neutralizing the acids of said concentrate by means of an alkaline calcium compound to form water-insoluble calcium compounds of acids containing more than four carbon atoms, mechanically separating the insolubles from aqueous solution, acidifying the insolubles to liberate free acids from said insoluble calcium compounds, subjecting the acids to distillation to form a distillate substantially free from acids containing more than ten carbon atoms, esterifying the acids present in said distillate, and blending a quantity of the resultant esters with a much larger quantity of the aforesaid alcoholic distillate.

3. In the manufacture of a potable spirit of the group, whiskey, brandy, and rum of fine body, avor, and aroma, the improvement which comprises distilling the fermentation product from which said spirit is derived to form an alcoholic distillate having an alcohol content above 40%, distilling 01T an aqueous aliphatic acid concentrate from said fermentation product, neutralizng the acids of said concentrate by means of an alkaline calcium compound to form waterinsoluble calcium compounds of acids containing more than four carbon atoms, mechanically separating the insolubles from aqueous solution, acidifying the insolubles to liberate free acids from said insoluble calcium compounds, subjecting the acids to distillation to form a distillate substantially free from acids containing more than ten carbon atoms, passing vapors of the aforesaid alcoholic distillate through a heated liquid body of said acids so as to esterify the acids. Withdrawing and condensing the vapors of said distillate containing said esters to form a condensate the alcohol content of which is much larger than its ester content.

FRED E. MILLER. 

